Graeme Swann claims James Anderson should be made England head coach when he retires
James Anderson
Former England spinner Graeme Swann believes James Anderson should be appointed as either England head coach or bowling coach immediately after he retires from international cricket.
Swann believes a player will have the most value as a coach the moment finishes his playing career. He claims the player will have the knowledge of the current game environment, as well as other players in the team. That in itself would make them the right candidate for the job.
Swann made the positive remarks on James Anderson while speaking on The Analyst Inside Cricket podcast.
“The second you finish playing Test cricket is the second you’re most relevant, you’re most valuable as a coach […]. The second he (James Anderson) finishes, he is fresh, he knows all the players, he knows the game currently. He’s not had to take a few years off. He should go straight in as head coach or head bowling coach for England.”
However, he went on to add that appointing James Anderson as the England Women’s team coach would be "the biggest crying shame in the world." The comment could fuel some controversy in the coming days.
“If Jimmy Anderson finishes playing cricket and they make him do England Women, or Lancashire seconds or something like that, to get his stripes, it will be the biggest crying shame in the world. And before anyone cries foul, I’m not having a go at the England Women team, or the Lancashire second team.”
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James Anderson is currently only playing the longer format of the game for England
James Anderson last represented England in an ODI in the 2015 ICC World Cup. His T20I career spanned for only a couple of years, from 2007 to 2009.
However, the 38-year-old is the leader of the pack when it comes to England's Test bowling line-up. With 600 wickets to his name, Anderson is not only England's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test matches, but he is also the fast-bowler with the highest number of Test victims.
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